Direct electrodeposition of hydrogenated reduced graphene oxide from unsonicated solution and its electrochemical response

Abstract

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is successfully electrodeposited from a graphene oxide-containing suspension under stirring and no sonication onto Ni foam by applying -1.5 V/SCE. The electrodeposited material is characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR and TGA results indicate the formation of hydrogenated rGO after electrodeposition. In addition, the electrochemical response of the rGO/Ni electrode is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry in 1 M potassium hydroxide solution. The results reveal that the electrode possesses higher conductivity and lower polarization loss compared to bare Ni foam, opening wider perspectives to design composites with improved electrochemical performance.